Assistant Professor of Philosphy at the University of Michigan and 2018 LSA Collegiate Fellow (Philosophy)
About
Dr. Fairchild's current research focuses on a family of extraordinary answers to ordinary questions about the existence of material objects. She explores varieties of permissivism in ontology (theories according to which there are vastly more material objects than we ordinarily recognize) and the role that concerns about "arbitrariness" play in motivating radical theories in metaphysics.
In 2013, Dr. Fairchild helped to found Minorities and Philosophy (MAP), an international organization dedicated to addressing issues of minority participation in academic philosophy. She served as one of three executive organizers for MAP for three years, and now supports the new organizers as a member of the board of trustees. In addition to her work with MAP, Dr. Fairchild has collaborated on a number of teaching outreach initiatives. She helped to organize the Los Angeles chapter of Corrupt The Youth, a partnership with the LA LGBT Youth Center with the mission of bringing philosophy to those who lack access to it. She has also helped to design open-access educational resources, with the aim of expanding access to education in formal logic beyond the traditional classroom setting. Within her own institutions, Dr. Fairchild has also worked as an advocate for underrepresented students at the university and department level, particularly on initiatives related to mentorship, faculty support, and inclusive pedagogy.
Research Area Keyword(s):
Metaphysics, ontology, philosophical logic, plenitude
